In this day and age, it’s easy to believe that everything is faster, smarter, more efficient and just all-around better than it ever has been. It has something to do with these rectangular screens carried around in every pocket, purse or pair of hands. Just one of these devices is millions of times more powerful than all of NASA’s computers from 1969- combined. To put that in perspective, that was the year Neil Armstrong hopped along the moon’s surface, so it’s understandable, if not altogether excusable, for a little hubris every now and again. Things have changed so much in such a short period of time, that one gets the sense that all that keeps their cellphones from transforming into space ships and taking them on a journey to a galaxy far, far away is the jet fuel.
They are right- contemplating the usage of fuel on this planet is a sure fire way to get your feet back on the ground. Between 1975 and 2004, fuel efficiency in this country stagnated. The average miles per gallon (MPG) for all the vehicles in the United States stayed practically constant over three decades, despite huge developments in other areas. As computing power exponentially increased, so did the high tech gadgets that today is standard fare for a set of wheels fresh off the lot: GPS systems that provide turn by turn navigation, cameras and screens in every nook and cranny, and satellite radios that can tune into hundreds of frequencies around the globe. Those research and development dollars were also invested in getting from zero to sixty in as little time as possible. Cars manufactured between the mid-70’s and into the new millennia were bigger, faster, sleeker- anything but more energy efficient.
Finally, in 2004, cars all of a sudden began to become more fuel-efficient, rising steadily year-by-year until it hit a record high in 2016 to a national average of 24.7 MPG for new cars and light trucks. The reason behind this is simple: they were forced to. Necessity truly is the mother of invention, and in this case, the rising cost of petroleum drove consumers to cars that could do more with less; since the demand was there, automakers started making cars with higher MPG.
When Barack Obama became president, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolled out ambitious (other’s might prefer “aggressive”) new regulations for automakers. The 2016 record of 24.7 MPG, though laudable, didn’t quite make the grade. Some companies, like Fiat Chrysler, who fall short of the requirements, are allowed to buy what is referred to as “credits” from other companies who are going above and beyond, like the electric car company Tesla.
The current administration in the White House has recently appointed a former coal lobbyist to head the EPA, replacing their first pick who resigned after numerous investigations into possible ethics violations; among them, using his position to help his wife open up a franchise of the chicken sandwich shop Chick-fil-A. Whether or not the world needs another Chick-fil-A is another conversation entirely. What is more pressing are those Obama era regulations that now find themselves on the chopping block.
Without government pressure to be more fuel-efficient, it is safe to assume that the national MPG average will plateau, if not regress. Businesses follow the mullah, and since gas prices are relatively low, consumers in the market for a new car are more likely to buy cars with lower MPG, but with more amenities. However, the power of the environmentally conscious consumer is not to be underestimated! As discussed in a previous article, it has caused numerous companies to become greener and lower their carbon footprint.
One of the amazing features the swrm app offers users is the ability to test drive before they buy. If you or a friend is in the market for a new car, check out the nifty transportation section. Our algorithms allow you to compare and contrast different makes and models to find out the energy footprint of each ride. You can calculate how much energy you’ll consume on your trip from here to Kalamazoo, or you can estimate the total life cycle energy, or the amount of energy your car will use from the moment it drives off the lot until the day it’s crushed into a cube at the junk yard. When all is said and done, these days a new car is expected to last somewhere between 8 years and around 150 thousand miles.
